There are different types of PPE necessary for warehouse workers. Your work environment often determines the type of PPE you will need. The PPE you choose should protect your workers from the potential hazards around them.

What PPE is Needed for Warehouse Workers?

Warehouses can be very dangerous workplaces. There’s a reason safety is such an important topic in warehouse environments. Warehouses can expose workers to harmful air pollutants that shouldn’t be inhaled. Many of the machines in warehouses are dangerous when used incorrectly. When deciding what PPE you need, it’s important to reflect on what kind of hazards you’ll be exposed to. In some cases, basic PPE like gloves, safety vests, and hard hats are always a good idea.

Warehouse PPE

Many industries rely on warehouse work in order to successfully maintain their business. Manufacturing, distributors, and more all use warehouse workers. It’s important that these workers are safe while on the job.

PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment. The term encompasses anything worn by a worker in order to keep them safe from occupational hazards. While other safety tools like industrial curtains are also designed to keep workers safe, they are not PPE. PPE only refers to equipment worn or used directly by workers. It includes clothing, headwear, eyewear, footwear, and masks. PPE should keep you safe from anything that might harm your skin, eyes, etc. Some PPE is designed to make you more visible, like neon safety vests. While these may not directly protect you from hazards, they are still considered PPE since they were designed to avoid injury.

PPE in Warehouse

PPE is a necessary part of warehouse safety. In a warehouse setting, you’re likely to encounter a variety of PPE. In order to get a better understanding of PPE, we’re going to cover some of the most common types of PPE. We’ll start with the head, continuing by discussing the PPE required for your entire body.

Hard hats are some of the most common pieces of protective wear in warehouses. Hard hats cover your head in order to protect it from falling objects or debris. They also keep your head safe in case you bump it against something. Hard hats are usually made from polyethylene or resin.

When discussing PPE, many people forget to consider protecting their ears. Noise in warehouse settings can be very dangerous. Over time, noise pollution can have damaging effects on your health. It can ruin your hearing, affect your stress levels, and disrupt your sleep. There are many ways to reduce noise in the workplace that don’t involve PPE. Equipment like industrial curtains or ceiling baffles is common. They’re typically hung from the ceiling in order to contain, absorb, or block sound. In terms of PPE, earplugs are very popular for protecting one’s hearing. Noise-canceling headphones are also common for areas with more serious noise issues.

Eyewear protects your eyes from debris, chemicals, and other materials that could potentially hurt your eyes. The work you do in the warehouse determines what kind of eyewear you’ll need. For minor protection, safety glasses can keep debris and dust out of your eyes. For a little more eye protection, safety goggles can shield your eyes better. These are a little larger and they make more contact with your skin, creating a tighter barrier against irritants. Some gear is designed to protect your entire face, like welding face helmets. Welding helmets usually cover your eyes, face, and neck. They’re designed to protect you from sparks, heat, and bright lights associated with welding.

Other face coverings have a similar purpose to that of welding shields. Face masks and respirators are very common in warehouse settings. Some industries stir up a lot of air pollutants like dust. Some types of pollutants are especially dangerous. When certain materials get cut into, the dust is more harmful than regular dust. Some of these materials can cause lung diseases or even cancers.

Continuing on our way down the body, safety vests are some of the most common PPE for the torso. While the other gear we’ve discussed is designed to act as a barrier against hazards, safety vests are a little different. Safety vests are bright colors, usually neon orange or yellow. Their bright color is designed to make you stand out so other workers can see you. Visibility is a major safety issue in warehouses. It’s important that workers can see one another, especially when their work involves heavy machinery.

Gloves need very little explanation. That being said, there are different types of gloves for the workplace. Some gloves may need to protect you against the cold if you’re working in a freezer. Others may just need to protect your skin from splinters. For people working with special equipment, gloves might need to be a bit more specialized. The material used to make the glove is going to have the biggest impact on its function.

All the way at the bottom of our PPE checklist is footwear. Appropriate footwear should prevent slipping while also supporting the wearer's feet. Footwear should be comfortable enough to stand in for multiple hours. It should encourage good health and reduce stress on your feet. Warehouse employees are often required to wear steel-toe boots. These are boots that have steel lining the toe area in order to protect your feet from anything heavy that may fall on it.

Warehouse Safety

Warehouses are full of potential hazards for employees. Luckily, these hazards can be reduced with the right safety equipment. Personal protective equipment is great for protecting employees from these dangers. In some cases, the right safety equipment can mean the difference between life and death.

While PPE is important, it can’t be your business’s only safety equipment. A proper warehouse needs other materials that can shield employees from dangers. Singer Safety has a wide array of equipment that can make any warehouse safer. Invest in Singer Safety’s equipment to ensure all of your employees are protected, head to toe.